10 Small aggressive dog breeds that can be dangerous

Dogs are universally preferred by many pet lovers for their qualities of loyalty, for their friendly nature and because they are just so amusing.

Small dogs in particular are adored by many people. They are so cute and are easy to maintain and train than their much larger counterparts. Small dogs are easy to handle and dominate, which makes them easy to train and teach new tricks.

However being wild animals at heart, even the small dogs can turn furious. And when they become agitated due to reasons best known to them, these dog breeds tends become too aggressive. Hence be careful of them. In order to help you identify the most aggressive small breeds of dogs, we present to you 10 such examples.

1Manchester terrier

The Manchester Terrier is a cheerful, sparkling and energetic breed that is usually good with kids. These dogs are very playful and enjoy plenty of exercise.

But as the name terriers goes, the Manchester was bred to hunt rats and mice, and it was very good at that job thanks to its insistent and aggressive nature. The dog is likely to chase birds, squirrels and other outdoor critters, so keep it leashed outdoors.

This breed is not a particularly good choice where there are many small pets like kittens, hamsters and guinea pigs in the house. These pets will not be safe around a dog that was raised to hunt them.

Generally, the Manchester Terrier does not possess any threat to humans if it is well trained. However, these dogs do need their own space, and can snap at people who refuse to leave them alone when they want some alone time.

Lhasa Apso

The Lhasa Apso is an ancient breed from Tibet. It’s cute and fluffy exterior can deceive. These dogs are intelligent and do well with obedience training. They can be trained to sit, sleep and even perform complex tricks if owners are determined with training them.

Lhasa was raised to watch the temples in Tibet and hence it tends to be distant with unfamiliar people, especially children, and can be nippy if approached too suddenly or noisily.

This behaviour is comprehensible as every dog of small size feels the need to protect itself from larger humans. It is capable of inflicting a painful bite.

Treat this dog with care and respect and the Lhasa Apso can make a very loyal pet.

Jack Russell Terrier

The Jack Russell is a leading working terrier. The word used most often to describe them is energetic. Owners of Jack Russell dogs need to make sure that their pets get plenty of exercise every day, or else the dogs can become fidgety and ill-tempered, and they might start to chew up the house.

This powerful dog was bred to take on foxes and follow vermin underground. Bored or astonishingly socialized Jack Russells can be unsafe, and though they hardly ever top 20lbs, they have a tenacious temper backed up by impressive little jaws, and they will never back down from a battle, in spite of the challenger.

To make Jack Russell an obedient member of your family, you need to start his preparation as early as possible. The dog must be trained to respect all humans, even the smallest child.

Bull Terrier

The bull terrier has a similar source to “pit bull” breeds; it was originally bred for pit sports, such as entering a ring full of rats and killing them quickly. This instinct has not wholly left the breed, and it is generally not suggested to keep a bull terrier around small pets such as hamsters, guinea pigs or rabbits.

The modern inheritor is not as aggressive as its ancestor, but an ill-trained dog can become dominant and aggressive to strangers and other animals. Even bull terriers that show no behavior problems with their own family can be intimidating toward strangers.

Bull terriers are very well-built and persistent, so their bite can cause serious injury. Owners need to put time and energy into training their dog to reduce the risk of biting and other aggressive behavior.

Cocker Spaniels

Cocker spaniels are a very popular breed of companion animals. These dogs were bred as gun dogs, focusing in recovering birds and small game in rough landscape. But have turned out to be one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States.

They are smart, animated dogs that love to play and run around. But their popularity has led to some overbreeding issues, including a problem called “rage syndrome”. This syndrome makes them attack aggressively without any needling. They come again to their normal selves with no memory of the attack.

You can reduce your risk by purchasing your pup from a good breeder who understands the importance of socializing puppies from an early age.

Beagle

The beagle is a hunting dog and many beagles are still working dogs today. They are a very widely held breed for use in airport security, as they can smell out drugs, weapons and even contraband agricultural products.

This beagle’s sensitive, spontaneous willpower makes it extremely problematic to train it and may lead it to act out inappropriately, including biting. God forbid if it catches a tempting scent, the beagle will often ignore any commands from its master.

Beagles can flourish around children, but you need to guarantee that they understand their place in the household pecking order. Even the smallest child should be able to display leadership over the dog.

Dachshund

Dachshunds are popularly known as hot dogs or wiener dogs thanks to their shape and size.
But despite their size, they were bred to track and kill vermin or prey, including following critters into groves or burrows. Dachshunds needed to be aggressive so that they could fight against the creatures, including formidable badgers, that they were trained to track down and kill.

Dachshunds are great one-person dogs, and protective of their master, making them brilliant companions for single or elderly people and good watchdogs. Their tendency for a single master makes them very distrustful of strangers and they are very fast to nip or bite anyone it sees as a threat. Dachshunds are normally considered as a breed of dog that is not very good with children.

But if you don’t want your Dachshunds to be aggressive, let it exercise, to be able to perform on its short legs.

Chihuahua

The Chihuahua is one of the smallest dog breeds in the world. Most Chihuahuas weigh less than ten pounds and can be easily picked up and carried around. And this reason has made them very popular among city residents who only have enough space for a small pet.

But despite their cuteness, Chihuahuas are very conscious of the small size and fragility, and can tend to protect themselves by barking at or showing extreme aggression against dogs or people many times their size.

Owners need to keep this behaviour in check or else they can end up being bossed around by their tiny pet. Chihuahuas are also tremendously possessive of the owner and become hostile to strangers and even family members.

Chow Chow

The Chow is considered to be one of the most ancient dog breeds on earth. It’s got a thick double coat of luxuriously soft fur that just begs to be fondled and nuzzled.

Although it has a cuddly presence, it is among the closest types in terms of genes to the grey wolf, and that resoluteness and aggression was useful when hunting, herding, and guarding.

The chow has a very defective peripheral vision, thanks to its deep-set sunken eyes. This makes it simple to surprise and irritate the dog by mistake. Despite its flaws, Chow Chow is very obedient breeds which is capable of great patience and are intensely loyal to their masters.

Pekingese

The Pekingese was raised as a companion dog to the Chinese emperors, and for centuries it was illegal in China for anyone else to own Pekingese dogs, or to export them out of the country. Also these dogs are high maintenance and need frequent grooming, including daily brushing of the long coat.

A Pekingese can be daringly aggressive even to dogs much larger than itself and this is very dangerous to its safety. A Pekingese dog commands good treatment and can be aggressive towards people and children, who do not respect the dog. He has an affinity to be possessive of his people, his food and his space.

The owner needs to respect the dog’s necessity for its own space and it can develop into a very happy companionship. Pekingese dogs tremendously love the people that they know well.